It is desirable to design semiconductor devices capable of reliably performing under demanding conditions. Semiconductor device performance specifications can be affected by feature sizes. For example, the reduction of the size of transistors can result in compromises in device performance. For example, narrowing of conductive features such as gate electrodes can lead to an increase in gate resistance, ohmic losses, and/or undesirable heating of a semiconductor device especially when the device is operated at high current densities. There is therefore a desire to maintain or even improve device performance specifications, while allowing for miniaturization.